Quick pry tools



NOV. 4, 1969 R, L', RENFROE 3,476,360

QUICK PRY TOOLS Filed May 2e, 1967 l 2 sheets-Sheen Fig.

l INVEN-TOR ,1' RaymondL/Penfroe AT'roRNExs R. L. RENFROE QUICK PRY TOOLS Nov. 4, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 26, 1967 INVENTOR Raymond L. Renfrae AT1/omas AUnited States Patent O U.S. Cl. 254-131 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tool and method for separating one or more articles such as steel plates from a supporting surface by elevating said article to an inclined position on said surface. The tool is comprised of a wedge member having a-wedge element and a driving member employed in cooperative relation for effecting the insertion of the wedge element between the article and surface. The wedge and driving members cooperate to provide a lever arm for prying the article away from the surface after yinsertion of the wedge. The wedge member includes means to support the article in a desired inclined position on the supporting surface while an operation such as attachment of a lifting clamp is performed on the article.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention is comprised of a wedge member and to a tool assembly for wedging and prying one or more articles away from a supporting surface and retaining said article in a desired inclined position on said surface.

In such facilities as steel fabricating plants or warehouses, where articles such as steel plates and the like are disposed in a horizontal position separately or in stacks, considerable diiculty has been encountered in the area of attachment of lifting clamps and the like. At present, it is necessary for personnel to employ a steel wedge. and a sledge hammer to drive the wedge between the article and its supporting surface. It is then necessary for the personnel to employ a pry bar and pry the article away from the surface in order to sutciently increase the inclination of the plate to provide the desired spacing therebetween to accommodate a block of wood or the like for supporting the article. The lifting clamp may then be suitably attached to the steel plate. As is readily apparent, the aforestated operation is quite time consuming, requiring the employment of a` series of tools and in many instances, a plurality of personnel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is comprised of a wedge member and a driving member cooperatively disposed in telescoping relation. 'The wedge member includes a wedge ele-ment which is insertable between an article and its supporting surface by a driving force transferred thereto by a repeated striking action of the driving member against the wedge member. Thus, the article may be initially separated from the surface by a wedging action to slightly incline the article relative to the surface. The inclination of the article may then be increased by employing the members as a lever arm to pry the article upwardly from the surlface. The wedge element has means thereon for supporting an edge of the article to retain the article in the upwardly pried position until a lifting clamp is attached or some other operation performed.

It is an object of this invention to alleviate the aforementioned difculties in the art by providing a new and improved tool for eiciently eifecting the separation of an article from its supporting surface, such as prying a steel plate to a sufficiently inclined position whereby lifting clamps or the like may be attached to the plate.

3,476,350 Patented Nov. 4 1S69 ICC I t is a further object of this invention to provide Within a single tool, the means `for such separation of an article from a surface thereby replacing the four separate articles or tools employed in the prior art operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a tool whereby a single individual may effect the movement of the article to an inclined position and support the article in said position until the desired operation such as attaching a lifting clamp is accomplished.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a tool having a driving member -and a wedge member in telescoping relation whereby said driving 'member may be reciprocally driven to provide a repeated striking action against said Wedge member transferring a driving force to said wedge member for insertion of a wedge element on said wedge member between the articleand its supporting surface, to raise the article to an initial inclination above the surface.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a tool wherein the driving and wedge members may be employed as a lever arm or pry bar to increase the inclination of said article by rotating the wedge element about its apex to a generally upright position thereby increasing the spacing between the surface and the article.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a tool wherein the wedge element has means thereon for supporting an edge of said article when said element is rotated to the aforestated upright position to thereby retain the article at the desired inclination and spacing from the surface for the attachment of lifting clamps or the performance of other operations.

Other objects and advantages of thisinvention will become apparent of the following description taken in connection of the accompanying drawings wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example one embodiment of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing the tool with the lwedge element of the wedge member inserted between the upper plate and the adjacent plate of a stack of steel plates.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view showing the tool in a generally upright position with the inclination of the upper plate increased by the prying action of the tool, said article being supported on a shoulder formed on the wedge element. i

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view through the tool showing the telescoping relation of the driving member and the wedge member with the driving member in striking relation to the wedge -member for transfer of a driving force to said wedge member. The reciprocal action of the driving member is illustrated in broken lines showing the driving member drawn back to a desired position prior to its thrust forward to impart a driving force to the wedge member.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the tool illustrating the construction of the wedge element particularly the supporting shoulders defined by opposed recesses on the opposite wedge surfaces of said wedge element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The reference numeral 1 refers generally to a quick pry tool embodying the features of this invention. The pry tool is broadly comprised of a driving member 2 and a wedge member 4. Referring to FIGURE 3, the members 2 and 4 are assembled in telescoping relation and are reciprocally movable in the direction of their longitudinal axis whereby said driving member 2 may be reciprocally driven by hand to effect a repeated impact striking or engagement of said wedge member 4 thereby transferring a lforward driving force thereto for insertion of said wedge member 4 between an article and a supporting surface. The telescoping relation of the members 2 and 4 may be reversed from that illustrated whereby the driving member 2 is received in )a passage in the wedge member 4.

In the illustrated embodiment, the driving member 2 is comprised of a sleeve or tubular structure 6 defining an interior passage or chamber 8. The passage 8 is closed at its rearward end portion by a cap 10 which is securely mounted to the sleeve 6. The forward end of the passage 8 is partially restricted by a cap 12 which is threadingly engaged to the sleeve 6. The cap 12 defines an axial bore 14 through which a portion of the wedge member 4 is received.

In further reference to FIGURE 3, the wedge member 4 includes a wedge element 16 securely mounted to a shaft 18 by the pin 20. The shaft member 18 has a diameter slightly less than the through bore 14 in the cap 12 whereby the driving member 2 may be reciprocally moved relative to the shaft 18. In order to prevent the complete withdrawal of the shaft 18 from the passage 8 during the reciprocal driving movement of the member 2, the shaft 18 has an enlarged portion, illustrated herein as a retainer 22, circumferentially disposed about the shaft 18. The retainer 22 is mounted on the shaft 18 by suitable means such as a top screw or connecting pin. The retainer 22 has an outer diameter greater than the diameter of the through bore 14 whereby the retainer 22 once inserted within the passage `8 cannot be removed or separated from said chamber 8 Without disengaging the threaded cap 12. The retainer 22, therefore limits the relative axial movement of members 2 and 4 in a direction opposite that of the movement toward said impact engagement of said members 2 and 4.

The driving member 2 and the wedge member 4 are provided with cooperative means defining abutment surfaces whereby the driving force imparted to the driving member 2 may be transferred to the wedge member 4 by the impact striking of the abutment surfaces. In the illustrated embodiment, the cap 10 defines an abutment surface 24 adapted for repeated striking engagement with the rearward end surface 26 of the shaft 18 to effect a force transfer.

The sleeve 6 preferably has a knurled portion 27 to provide a firm gripping surface for a manual reciprocal driving movement of the driving member 2.

Referring to FIGURE 4, the wedge element 16 has conventional wedge surfaces 28 and 30 in opposed relation inclined inwardly to an apex 32. Each of the surfaces 28 and 30 has a transversely extending recess 34 defining a pair of opposed supporting shoulders 36. The shoulders 36 support an edge portion of an article such as a steel plate when the tool 1 is pivoted about the apex 32 of the wedge element 16 to place the tool 1 in a generally upright position as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

The assembly of the tool 1 is accomplished by first placing shaft 18 through the bore 14 in the cap 12 and then securing the retainer 22 to the rearward end of the shaft 18. Shaft 18 and retainer 22 are then inserted into the passage 8. The cap 12 is then threadingly engaged to the sleeve 6 completing the assembly of the tool 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the Wedge element 16 is illustrated in a partially inserted position between an upper plate 40 and an adjacent plate 42 of a stack of steel plates 44. As indicated by a double arrow, the driving member 2 is reciprocally driven to effect repeated force transfer to the member 4 to drive the wedge element 16 between the plates 40 and 42 thereby obtaining an initial inclination and separation of the plate 40 from the plate 42.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the tool 1 is illustrated in a generally upright position to which it is rotated after insertion of the wedge element 16 between the plates 40 and 42. This rotation of the tool 1 is effected by the employment of the members 2 and 4 as a lever arm to pivot the wedge element 16 about its apex 32 to increase the inclination of the plate 40 thereby providing sufiicient spacing between plates 40 and 42 for connection of a lifting clamp to the steel plate 40. As is illustrated in FIG- URE 2 when the tool 1 is pivoted to its upright position, the edge portion `46 ofthe plate 40 is supported by the shoulder 36 and disposed within therecess 34 of the wedge` element 1'6. In this manner, the plate 40 may -be retained in its inclined position by support on the shoulder 36 until the lifting clamp is securely attached to the plate 40 or some other operation is performed.

The position of the driving member 2 relative to the shaft 18 of the wedge member 4 determines the length of the lever arm formed by the members 2 and 4. Therefore, when heavier plates are encounteredhthe driving member 2 may be withdrawn rearwardly from'the wedge element 16 thereby increasing the length of the lever arm and correspondingly reducing the force required for lifting the plate 40.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described one form of my invention it is not to be limited to this specific form or arrangement of lparts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pry tool for separating an article from a surfac comprising:

(a) an elongated pry bar lever including first and second members each extending longitudinally in telescoping relation and being reciprocally movable axially relative to the other,

(b) a wedge extending in a first direction to an apex and from the outer end of said first member and mounted on said first member so that a lateral force applied to the end of said pry bar opposite said wedge imparts a prying action to said wedge,

(c) cooperative means on said members each of said cooperative means defining an abutment surface, said abutment surfaces being mutually engageable whereby said second member may be freely reciprocated in said 4first direction by hand relative to said first member to effect a repeated impact engagement of said abutment surfaces transferring a driving force in said first direction to Said first member for insertion of said wedge between said article and said sur face, v

(d) means on said wedge defining a transverse shoulder longitudinally spaced from said abutment surfaces for supporting an edge of said article when said wedgeis pivoted from its wedging position to a gen- 'erally uprightposition'.

2. A pry tool as recited in claim 1 wherein saidfirst member is comprised of an axially extending shaft having opposed end portions with said 'wedge mounted-on one end portion and said other end portion defining an abutment surface and wherein said second member is cornprised of an axially extending sleeve defining a passage therethrough in which the shaft of said first member is received in telescoping relation, said second -member having opposed end portions with means closing one'of said end portions'and defining an abutment surface for striking engagement with the abutmentsurface of said first member.

3. A pry tool as recited in claim2 wherein the shaft of said first member includes an enlarged portion within the passage of said second member and said second member includes means opposite its closed end defining a bore having a diameter less than the diameter of the enlarged portion of said shaft, said bore defining-means being engageable with the enlarged portion of said shaft to restrict the axial relative movement saidfrst and second mernbers.

4. A pry tool as recited in claim 3 wherein said bore defining means is comprised of a cap in threaded engagement with said sleeve of said second member, -said cap defining said bore axially therethrough` to receiveuthe shaft of said first member.

5. A pry tool as recited in claim 1 wherein said wedge has a pair of opposed wedge surfaces at least one of said surfaces defining a transversely extending recess spaced from the apex of said wedge and said abutment surfaces to provide a shoulder for supporting an edge of said article when the wedge is pivoted from its wedging position to a generally upright position, said recess being defined by a first surface on the apex side of said recess disposed in a plane substantially normal to said first direction and an opposite concave surface spaced from said rst surface and generally inclined away from said apex.

6. A pry tool as recited in claim 5 wherein each of said wedge surfaces defines said transversely extending recess spaced from the apex and said abutment surfaces to provide a pair of shoulders on opposite sides of said wedge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner DAVID R. MELTON, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 214-8.5 

